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New Fandom, v. 2, issue 1, April 1940
Page 5
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NEW FANDOM Page Five The growth of science-fiction is due to the far-sightedness and courage of the editors of a few magazines. The editors of what is now Argosy have from time to time published some of the best fantasy ever written. They have not, however, published much of true science-fiction. Such writers as Merritt, Cummings, Kline, Burroughs, and Farley were given first place in the issue. Many of todays science-fiction authors owe their success to Argosy. The Blue Book have often published stories which might be termed as conservative science-fiction. Burroughs has been a frequent contributor and Anthony Rud has sold to them several times. A score of other magazines have ventured to publish science-fiction until today there are few who do not offer a science-fiction story every few months. Science-fiction owes its greatest debt to one man --- Hugo Gernsback. One can say, without reserve, that is it hadn't been for Gernsback, science-fiction would be in the same state as it is in England, barely straggling along. Not only has Gernsback fostered science-fiction in all of his publications, but he has also written it extensively. Science-fiction became of age and a part of history in April, 1926. The first issue of Amazing Stories came out on that date. The old Science and Invention published many stories that have been unsurpassed. One might mention Cummings' "Man from the Meteor", "Tarrano the Conqueror", and Fozandie's "Dr. Hackensaw's Secrets". A story had to be not only good fiction, but unusually well-written and different, to be published previous to 1926. Only the best were accepted. There were only a few authors who devoted any effort to science-fiction and these wrote intermittantly. Thus, most of their material would today be classed as fantasy or scientales. Weird Tales opened up a field that has steadily grown in popularity. One may wonder why no more magazines have copied Weird Tales; the answer is that no more good weird stories are being written. Strange Stories is a poor imitation. In the past imitators of Weird have disappeared from the market. Is it the handwriting on the wall for Strange Stories? A comparison of early science-fiction shows that most readers prefer the present type, in spite of the influx of worn-out ideas and fourth-rate writers. We have evolved, and science-fiction has matured into a literature. IV. Amazing Stories Amazing Stories was born with the April, 1926 issue. There have been only three editors to date. Hugo Gernsback, its founder, T. O'Connor Sloane, and Raymond A. Palmer, presently. A. Lynch served for a few months between Gernsback and Sloane. Amazing has mirrored the personalities of its editors. Under Gernsback it was prone to carry a more varied bill of fare, with even some fantasy thrown in. Consequently the magazine appealed to a more general taste. When it first appeared, science-fiction authors were rare, and Gernsback had to rely a good deal on reprints to fill his magazine. These reprints still stand as classics. Amazing Stories slowly declined during the depression until most of the stories were practically unreadable. Illogic crept in and for a while the fans feared for the "Aristocrat of
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NEW FANDOM Page Five The growth of science-fiction is due to the far-sightedness and courage of the editors of a few magazines. The editors of what is now Argosy have from time to time published some of the best fantasy ever written. They have not, however, published much of true science-fiction. Such writers as Merritt, Cummings, Kline, Burroughs, and Farley were given first place in the issue. Many of todays science-fiction authors owe their success to Argosy. The Blue Book have often published stories which might be termed as conservative science-fiction. Burroughs has been a frequent contributor and Anthony Rud has sold to them several times. A score of other magazines have ventured to publish science-fiction until today there are few who do not offer a science-fiction story every few months. Science-fiction owes its greatest debt to one man --- Hugo Gernsback. One can say, without reserve, that is it hadn't been for Gernsback, science-fiction would be in the same state as it is in England, barely straggling along. Not only has Gernsback fostered science-fiction in all of his publications, but he has also written it extensively. Science-fiction became of age and a part of history in April, 1926. The first issue of Amazing Stories came out on that date. The old Science and Invention published many stories that have been unsurpassed. One might mention Cummings' "Man from the Meteor", "Tarrano the Conqueror", and Fozandie's "Dr. Hackensaw's Secrets". A story had to be not only good fiction, but unusually well-written and different, to be published previous to 1926. Only the best were accepted. There were only a few authors who devoted any effort to science-fiction and these wrote intermittantly. Thus, most of their material would today be classed as fantasy or scientales. Weird Tales opened up a field that has steadily grown in popularity. One may wonder why no more magazines have copied Weird Tales; the answer is that no more good weird stories are being written. Strange Stories is a poor imitation. In the past imitators of Weird have disappeared from the market. Is it the handwriting on the wall for Strange Stories? A comparison of early science-fiction shows that most readers prefer the present type, in spite of the influx of worn-out ideas and fourth-rate writers. We have evolved, and science-fiction has matured into a literature. IV. Amazing Stories Amazing Stories was born with the April, 1926 issue. There have been only three editors to date. Hugo Gernsback, its founder, T. O'Connor Sloane, and Raymond A. Palmer, presently. A. Lynch served for a few months between Gernsback and Sloane. Amazing has mirrored the personalities of its editors. Under Gernsback it was prone to carry a more varied bill of fare, with even some fantasy thrown in. Consequently the magazine appealed to a more general taste. When it first appeared, science-fiction authors were rare, and Gernsback had to rely a good deal on reprints to fill his magazine. These reprints still stand as classics. Amazing Stories slowly declined during the depression until most of the stories were practically unreadable. Illogic crept in and for a while the fans feared for the "Aristocrat of
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